It might be challenging to pin down the best way to store bitcoin. Most of the top cryptocurrency exchanges are quite young, meaning that their reputation is still questionable. That’s why people consult pages like this one. Because they want to ask for advice and see which of the providers are reliable. So, how one can buy cryptographic money using secure means? Let’s figure it out.

The most important point to consider when you begin looking through the top bitcoin exchanges is whether the server and website are safe. Consequently, ask yourself: is it really one of the premium marketplaces that offers the best way to store bitcoin and are its customers satisfied? Additionally, it is advisable to consider the value pairs provided: depending on whether you plan to trade digital assets for Euros, USD, and more. Commonly, the location points out what’s offered. Although, most top bitcoin exchanges have a broad choice of variants for purchasing altcoins as well as government-issued items.

As a side note: the difficulty of determining the trustworthy resources encouraged us to create this page. Of course, it’s always recommended to conduct your personal research before taking someone’s word and investing. However, we’ve decided to simplify the job for you and made a selection of top cryptocurrency exchanges that you can take account of when getting bitcoin online. So, if you are a newb in this sphere, feel free to look through the “beginner-friendly” site marked in the corresponding column.

Trusted services are the ones with the higher score, user rating and ranking if to compare with peers. Additional points are given to the places with a PayPal feature, which is in demand among customers. Also, the systems that let users buy bitcoin using a credit card have the ranking preference. You are welcome to look through all positions of our best cryptocurrency exchange list. We recommend you to bookmark the page

How to pick the best place to buy cryptocurrency?

Luckily the BTC exchange suggestions above will be a great start when choosing the site. In any case, check if the site’s instructions are detailed and comprehensive. Right after that, it will be easier to learn whether you can buy bitcoin using cash, credit card, bank transfer, or PayPal. As soon as you buy some coins, think of the offline storage. There are “hot” and “cold” options that you can review in the wallets’ choice. For the purchasing or selling purposes, it’s safer to move back and forth the “cold” wallet to the “hot” storage online. Bear in mind that the longer you don’t compromise the offline keys, the longer those sums can’t be taken.

How to discover the best site to buy bitcoin?

Despite its apparent simplicity, that’s not an easy question. When comparing diverse bitcoin commerce spots, it’s obvious that each will have its pros. That’s why you should never neglect the ‘conventional wisdom’ hatched in heaps by the forum regulars. Pick several variants to compare and learn the feedback from real users. Such an artless approach will let you reach the best place to buy cryptocurrency. For instance, Localbitcoins.com is a friendly peer-to-peer sources that deal with BTC. It works for beginners willing to make their first-ever purchase. Their service operates worldwide, meaning among the supported items there are pounds, yen, Swiss francs, Canadian dollars, euros, Australian dollars, rupees, krona, rubles, lira, to name a few. If you choose to make a payment by physical cash, get prepped to pass sums to this person hand-to-hand. There’s also a possibility to do a quick bank transfer; in this case, your capital will be held in escrow until a transferring process is completed. Beyond any doubt, that’s not the only way to set out. Some prefer buying from PayPal. However, it’s not a common practice because of pretty high chargebacks, so many leading BTC exchange places refuse to accept it.

What are the top bitcoin wallets?

As a rule, the most reputed cryptocurrency exchange platforms can be found on the first positions. For instance, eToro, CryptoGo, LocalBitcoin, Binance, 24option – all of them can boast of large volumes. Concerning daily volume, it varies; and thus, the worldly famous BTC systems may be different every single day. Bitcoinity offers you a clear-cut range of all the decent bitcoin marketplaces and their volume proportions. Some virtual tradesmen find it quite useful for inter-market arbitrage.

Which sources of virtual assets are well-encrypted?

After the crash of Cryptsy, it has become necessary to reinforce the bitcoin security, which led to the appearance of a brand-new crypto-values spot, the so-called altcoins. The message is – it’s nice to have a couple of medium-sized marketplaces than one huge yet incredible variant. As of today, Bittrex (creation of a new account is currently suspended) has become a worthy substitute to Poloniex. More to it, Bittrex is a highly functional platform able to acquire tens of millions of new bitcoin traders monthly. With this platform, things go smooth. Except for offering small and big trade pairs, Bittrex enables a virtual margin commerce. Sure, this is a very interesting feature; yet still, be careful when using it, as leveraged trading might be risky. Also, don’t forget that some of the first-rate cryptocurrency exchange platforms do the alternative digital money, as well. Some of the great options to be checked out include Cryptopia, Yobit, and Changelly, which even suggest short selling on popular coins.

Lastly, it’s crucial to monitor the market capitalization and bitcoin rankings. You can use either coinkapp, which provides an excellent comparison chart of the front-most crypto-values, or coinmarketcap, whose listing is a bit simplified but still handy.

Where to seek for the most secure cryptocurrency exchange sites?

We’re glad you asked. Of course, the words ‘trustworthy’ and ‘bitcoin’ in the same sentence might evoke a smile, especially when reminiscing about MtGox (or Empty-Gox if you will). Just because the bitcoin protocol has not been hacked, it doesn’t necessarily mean the peripheral businesses are as safe. The question should have been formulated something like this, ‘Which cryptographic currency services are poorly secured?’ All in all, the bitcoin top sites from our picking are of good record. Still, be extremely cautious when exchanging top bitcoin currencies. Finally, set the point of non-return and do not allow yourself to lose more funds than you can afford.

Binance

This website started operating in July 2017, so it is a relatively new cryptocurrency exchange. Nevertheless, it has proven to be a reliable and convenient place for traders over the short period it has been around. Binance offers two types of interface, a basic one for beginners and an advanced one for more experienced users.

Pros

Multiple crypto coins are available, rarer ones along with the most popular

Low commission fees

High liquidity makes for a smoother trading experience

Qualified team with good understanding of the financial matters

Cons

Being a fairly new cryptocurrency exchange, it doesn’t have a lot of positive feedback yet

As a China-based platform, it may be affected by the Chinese bitcoin regulatory measures

Localbitcoins

Localbitcoins is a well-known person to person cryptocurrency exchange. This means exactly what it implies, you will be dealing directly with the owner of bitcoins you want to buy from. This is arguably the most renowned site of all we mention here, so it may also become your first choice whenever you want to buy or trade some bitcoins. It also offers escrow and dispute resolution to its customers, so that is additional insurance that all your transactions will be successful.

Pros

Globally-known service

Paypal can be used as a payment method

Verification is usually not required

Cons

Anonymity of transactions poses an additional risk, in a way

Slower transaction time when it has to be done by meeting the other party in person

Cex.io

CEX is a bitcoin exchange that is, for obvious reasons, most popular in the countries where the currencies it accepts circulate. Those are US dollars, British pounds, euros, and Russian rubles for traditional money, while cryptocurrencies are represented by Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dash, Zcash, Ripple and a few others. As you can see, the website actually has a lot of locations covered. It has a straightforward design, and you can start buying right away.

It is especially convenient that after pressing the Buy/Sell button on the main page, you are offered three buttons with the sums written on them, for example, $200, $500, and $1000, and below you will see how much of the selected crypto coins you will get for that amount of money. You can also choose the fourth button, which allows you to enter a custom amount of cash you are willing to pay. There are bitcoin exchanges that require you to sign up before you find out their exchange rates, so this is a great feature offered by Cex.io.

Pros

Beginner-friendly interface

Various payment methods available

Protection from DDoS attacks and full data encryption

Competitive commissions

Transparency in how much users will receive for a certain amount of money

Cons

Litecoin is no longer available

Xcoins.io

Xcoins is mostly notable for allowing customers to use Paypal for completing transactions. Other bitcoin exchanges have limited their use of this payment method due to chargeback, but Xcoins managed to keep it available. The trading is done by utilizing secure loans, which can be paid with Paypal. Being a lending platform, Xcoins allows borrowing and lending crypto coins. For example, if you borrowed some bitcoins and decided to return them, you will be able to get a refund. You can also join the website for free and become a lender, earning money while still being the owner of your bitcoins instead of selling them, as other exchanges require you to do.

Pros

Landing bitcoins rather than selling them

Simple sign-up process

Payments can be made using Paypal

Short transaction time

Borrowers can get a refund

Cons

Only USD and Bitcoin are available for payments

The site was hacked before, though the company reimbursed the users for what they lost

Getting around Paypal chargeback policy can cause issues in the future

Changelly

Changelly is a very convenient platform that allows its users to trade a large number of various cryptocurrencies in one place. It utilizes an automatic trading tool whose purpose is to integrate other popular trading platforms. That way, Changelly customers get access to more than 80 alt coins without having to register at any exchange which only supports a limited amount of them. As of today, more than 700,000 people have recognized the advantages of this service and made successful transactions.

Changelly offers intuitive trading, and once you enter the amount of money (either fiat or digital) you want to pay and the cryptocurrency you want to buy, the robot will search the connected exchanges for the best rates and show you how much you can get for that amount of money. The users trade over 50,000 bitcoins every month, which proves that this is an efficient and reliable platform that keeps attracting new traders. It is a great choice for beginners and those who are interested in exchanging other altcoins, not only the most popular ones.

Pros

Multiple cryptocurrencies available

Two-factor authentication

Credit cards are accepted for payment

Cons

Transaction fee exceeds that of the average one on the market

Debit cards are not supported

Reports about lengthy withdrawal times

Coinmama

Coinmama may be less known than some other cryptocurrency exchanges, especially since it only offers visitors to buy coins, yet it does have its steady following. Its services are available in 188 countries, and the website is specifically known for letting its customers make international purchases using their credit and debit cards. If for some reason you cannot make a purchase at any of the leading exchanges, this website may be offering exactly what you need.

Pros

Global coverage

Any credit or debit card from VISA or MasterCard is accepted

Fast delivery

Cash deposit via Western Union is possible

Cons

Customers can only buy but not sell virtual currencies

Transaction fees are

Cons

iderably higher than elsewhere

Identification is required

Coinexchange.io

Coinexchange offers cryptocurrency traders a good deal of altcoins other exchanges may have left out. According to the website, its purpose is to provide a safe place for traders who are interested in buying or selling altcoins. There is not much information known about the site, and neither information about its origins nor any issued licenses can be found. Thus, the promises of security do not seem that convincing. The traders are reluctant to say what they make of it or to vouch that Coinexchange is completely trustworthy. Nevertheless, there has not been any hacks or scam reports, and the exchange does have a potential to get wider recognition in the future if its management team succeeds to convince the customers in the fairness of their operations.

Pros

Multiple altcoins available

User-friendly interface

No restrictions on withdrawal amounts

Competitive fees on trading operations

Cons

No proof of the exchange’s trustworthiness

Claims that there are “scam coins” among the supported currencies

QuadrigaCX

QuadrigaCX is based in Canada and has been operating since December 2013. It supports the most popular cryptocurrencies, but it is especially favored by the residents of Vancouver, as this exchange made it available to trade coins using ATM machines installed throughout the city. Payments can also be made through a bank account, online banking, bank wires, money orders, and others.
QuadrigaCX is probably the largest bitcoin exchange in Canada, and definitely one of the oldest ones. It cannot claim that there have not been any losses, as in 2017 about $15 million in Ethereum coins were lost. The site covered that for the customers, taking the blow on itself. This goes to prove that no exchange is protected from incidents, but at least QuadrigaCX managed to show it valued its clients and proved to be a reliable company.

Pros

Two-factor authentication

Multiple funding options

It has a Money Services Business license and is regulated by Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada

ATMs can be used in Vancouver to make a payment

Cons

High transaction fees

Only several major cryptocurrencies are supported

Restrictions and limitations for residents from outside Canada

Exmo

Exmo is a bitcoin exchange founded in 2013. As many smaller trading platforms, it offers certain features which make it notable for specific groups of people. At Exmo, payments can be made using US dollars, euros, Russian rubles, Polish zloty, or Ukrainian hryvnias, making it especially attractive for traders from countries where those currencies are issued. There is also a range of altcoins, which is certainly an advantage when compared to larger websites that only offer a couple of the most popular cryptocurrencies. Here, you can trade Bitcoin, Litecoin, Dogecoin, Dash, Ethereum, Zcash, Waves, KickCoin, Ripple, Monero, Thether, Bitcoin Cash, and Ethereum Classic with a 0.2% trading fee for each deal.
Exmo is easy to navigate, and it takes close to no time to start buying or selling coins here. This makes it a good place for new traders, while more experienced ones will be disappointed by the lack of some additional tools and options they are used to. Like many other smaller exchange sites, Exmo does not have many reviews online, and bitcoin forums have a

Considerable amount of posts from traders who experienced some issues. All this, of course, can make users reluctant to visit this exchange, but you should keep in mind that people usually leave positive feedback less often than negative comments. There are also those who claim to have had only good experience with Exmo, but we would still advise you to be cautious.

Pros

Good selection of deposit options

The site and support are available in several languages

48 currency pairs available, crypto to fiat and crypto to crypto

Cons

Some traders report having issues with withdrawals

Cryptocurrency forums contain complaints about irresponsive support

LakeBTC

LakeBTC is a China-based cryptocurrency exchange that was founded in 2013. Its main and most notable advantage is an array of payment methods, including cash, Paypal, bank wire, Skrill, OKPAY, Perfect Money, Neteller, Western Union, MoneyGram, Leupay, and others. The site really seeks to provide services to users from most countries of the world, and even has been localized in a few languages other than English.

Cons idering its relatively long history in terms of bitcoin exchanges, LakeBTC has not been hacked. Although this does not guarantee the site will not suffer from any malevolent attacks in the future, it does add a little bit credibility to this platform. What matters is customer satisfaction, and traders seem to be enjoying this exchange for simple yet efficient tools and a wide range of payment methods. Besides, LakeBTC provides an opportunity for anyone to become a LakeBanker. What it means is that you will be required to accept the deposit requests and confirm the deals, and you will be rewarded with a banker fee and some privileges for that. There is more to that, so if you are interested, make sure to read more about this project on the LakeBTC website as they cover all necessary details.

Cons

A lot of customers complain about slow bank withdrawals

Being China-based, the exchange can be affected by future regulations

HitBTC

HitBTC is among the most popular cryptocurrency exchanges out there, which can be easily explained by the fact that they offer over 400 altcoins for trading. It has provided its services since 2013 and gained recognition on the bitcoin exchanges arena. Nevertheless, there has not been any information about who founded it revealed, although it is known that the exchange is currently operated by Hong Kong-based HIT Solution Ltd. The platform also decided not to disclose any details about being hacked in early 2016, which resulted in some customers losing their money. This does raise some concerns, but most cryptocurrency exchanges have had some unpleasant experiences in the past, and it’s difficult to disregard HitBTC since it offers an extensive list of tools experienced traders will find very useful.
Besides, the platform offers a rebate system encouraging traders to buy coins rather than sell them. By doing so, users receive a 0.01% rebate, while sellers are charged 0.1%. This practice helps HitBTC to create high liquidity and attract major market makers to the site.
HitBTC is also notable for its various account options, General, Verified, and Qualified. You can trade anonymously, but if you decide to provide more information about yourself, you will gain access to higher account levels which come with additional features and advantages.

Pros

An extensive list of supported altcoins

Attractive rebate system

Over 500 instruments for traders

No limits on depositing or withdrawing virtual currencies

Cons

Deposits with fiat money can only be made via bank transfers

Too complicated for beginners

High transaction fees

Indacoin

Indacoin was founded in 2013, and it is based in London. It offers over 200 virtual currencies, which can be bought with US dollars, euros, or Russian rubles. The deposit options are represented by credit and debit cards, but payment can also be made using Payza or BTC-e code. The main advantage of Indacoin over other smaller exchanges is that it allows trading without going through a sign-up process. However, that results in lack of some features registered users can get at other platforms. If you are looking for a place to quickly buy some altcoins, Indacoin is a good enough exchange for that. However, more experienced traders will simply gloss over it.